Sweet Gifts
by Alannada
Summary: It's just a cringe-worthy Valentine's Day Special. Heed this warning. Look, it even has a generic title! (twoshot)
1. Part 1

Summary: It's just a cringe-worthy Valentine's Day Special. Heed this warning. Look, it even has a generic title!

A/N: I can't believe I did a special event story around the actual time of the holiday.  
It's going to be a 2shot, the 2nd chapter will be posted during the Valentine's Day. Until then you can flame me for posting this.

* * *

 **Sweet Gifts**

* * *

The gang was on a hunt again, looking for shards or rumors to follow.. Kagome was glad that for the duration of winter she had decided to wear something warmer than a skirt. And, even if they were going out of Kaede's village for a hunt, their trips were shorter and Inuyasha wasn't throwing a fit if she wanted to spend more time in her era between their journeys. She imagined that, whatever he was telling them about not feeling that cold,Inuyasha didn't like to run around barefoot in the snow.

Anyway, right now they were on their trip, one that was going to tale them to a trading village near their headquarters. They hoped to gather some leads from traders there. The trip was going to last a couple of days, so everyone had all they could carry with them.

Kagome was walking between Sango and Miroku, talking with them and smiling at the back of the hanyou, who was carrying her yellow bag and Shippou sitting on top of it. She was daydreaming and Sango, who was walking between her and Miroku, was glancing her way to make sure her miko friend wasn't going to fall over something. One glance towards where Kagome was looking was enough to make Sango pretty certain she knew about what the other girl was thinking. The exterminator grinned and looked at the pair of tiny youkai nestled on top of the huge bag, hitching a ride.

Kirara was practically buried in the spot between the bag and the hanyou's neck. The kitsune was munching on something he was holding in his hands and Sango was a bit surprised he still had that chocolate bar Kagome had given him the day prior. She was almost sure he already had devoured it.

The young miko at her side seemed not to care, she thought about spending this day with Inuyasha in her time. In her daydream he asked her to go on a date with him, gave her flowers and took her to see a movie - at least that was what she had thought at first. Then she adjusted the daydream to the hanyou she knew and loved. After the little tweaking so it would be more real, this special day played out in her head a bit different. Instead of flowers she got a bunch of herbs he knew, instead of a date he took her for a long walk through the forest and instead of the movie they watched stars appear in the evening sky, with her snuggling against his chest as he held her in a branch of a tree. Kagome's smile widened - this was much closer to Inuyasha and she decided she'd actually like it more than an ordinary boring date.

Soon she had to drop her daydreaming about snuggling against the dog hanyou because her other companions were talking to her.

When the evening came and the gang decided to make camp in a cave Inuyasha found. They quickly split into pairs and went about setting the camp, collecting firewood and preparing beds and food. When the dinner was all but finished Kagome reached for her bag and smiled at everyone.

"Okay, guys. I want to tell you about the holiday that is today in my era," she said. It was always fun to share stories about things that were so ordinary to her, since in this time they were unheard of.

"A holiday?" Sango asked. "Why aren't you spending it with your family, like that Christmas earlier?" she asked and glared sideways at Inuyasha, suspecting he was the reason Kagome was with them. She missed her family greatly, so she always made sure that her friend, who still had hers could visit them as often as possible.

"Oh, I shared my gifts with them before leaving," Kagome waved a hand. "Anyway, the name of the holiday is the Valentine's Day and it's the day of love and friendship."

"How peculiar," Miroku said and smiled. "Does that mean that people are encouraged to follow their hearts that day and confess love?" he turned to Sango, his hand already drifting to her backside. "My dear-"

He trailed off, because for a moment Sango looked like a youkai, with a dark aura included. The monk decided to retreat his hand before losing it.

"Actually, yes," Kagome giggled at her friends' antics. "It's a Western tradition to confess love or propose today. But we also give gifts to those we love and care for."

"Gifts? What gifts?" Inuyasha asked, glaring at her suspiciously.

"Kagome!" Shippou tugged at her sleeve and gave her a shiny white rock with a hole in it. "I care for you a lot," he said, offering his little present to her. Kagome giggled and plucked the rock from his hand.

"Thank you, Shippou!" she stroked his hair. "But today it's the girls who give gifts, boys do it the next month, during the White Day. And we usually give chocolate."

The boy's smile vanished for a moment, but returned when he saw her putting his rock in the shikon shards' bottle, showing how much she treasured it.

"Keh," muttered Inuyasha when Kagome looked his way. He was sitting close to the mouth of the cave, Kirara sleeping curled next to him. Kagome blinked at seeing the feline so peacefully resting in Inuyasha's presence. She was in total opposition to Buyo, who would never sit in Inuyasha's lap, let alone fall asleep next to him. Kirara on the other hand, seemed to like Inuyasha almost as much as she liked Sango.

"Anyway, I brought gifts for you, guys," Kagome said and resumed her search in the bottomless bag of hers. She retrieved from it a smaller bag containing her gifts. Well, most of them. There was a special chocolate in a separate pocket, meant for a special boy. She blushed, hoping he would accept it.

"Oh, Kagome, you didn't have to..." Sango started. "We don't have anything to give to you in return..."

"That's fine," Kagome beamed at her friend and handed her a bar of chocolate wrapped in a red paper adorned with pink hearts and Sango's name on it. "I just wanted to make you smile."

"You are too generous," Miroku said as he got hold of his chocolate, wrapped in the same paper. "I have an idea, we can share out chocolate, to uphold the tradition of sharing sweets with friends, what do you think?"

"That's a very good idea!" Sango nodded and gave Miroku a brief smile of appreciation that made the young man preen a little. "This way you'll get some chocolate too, Kagome."

"Thanks, guys," Kagome smiled and handed Shippou his gift. The boy eyed the rest of the packages in the bag.

"Wait, Kagome, why do you have so many of those left?" he asked, his eyes sparkling with hope that he could weasel out of her a second bar of the sweet. Kagome removed the leftover chocolates from the bag to show them to the rest.

"Oh, I want to give those to our other friends," she explained. "I have one for Kouga, Ginta and Hakkaku, for Jinenji, for Kaede, for Rin and Lord Sesshomaru..."

"Feh!" Inuyasha snorted. "He won't take food from you! You can just give his chocolate to Rin."

Kagome smiled when she heard his remark. It made it clear that he was paying close attention to what was happening around the fire, despite looking out of the cave most of the time. Now he moved to crouch beside her, his eyes scanning the vividly red and pink packages, each with a name of the receiver written on it in Kagome's handwriting. Others looked at the pile of sweets too, Sango even reached a hand to spread them on the floor, looking at it in confusion.

"Kagome, where's the one for Inuyasha," she asked, shock clear in her voice. How could her miko friend forget about preparing a gift for the boy she cared the most for? "There is no chocolate signed with his name."

"Yeah," Shippou giggled. "I guess he doesn't deserve a gift after being so rude and stupid."

"Shippou, that wasn't very nice," Miroku scolded while Kagome exclaimed his name in displeasure at his behavior and looked sideways at the cute puppy ears drooping. Inuyasha looked away and stood up, his hands in his sleeves.

"Feh! As if I wanted some sticky brown stuff," he grumbled, failing at fake indifference. Shippou's words didn't bother him, after all the kit was speaking like that pretty often, repeating all the shit people told him since he could remember. He was a hanyou, he didn't deserve nice things. Hell, he didn't deserve any things. But the fact that Kagome haven't brought him that stupid chocolate, while she had remembered about bringing it even for the fucker wolf and his bastard brother... That stung.

Kagome looked at the hanyou and grabbed a fistful of his hakama before he could walk away. She offered him a warm smile when his guarded yellow eyes looked down at her.

"I didn't forget about you," she blushed and couldn't help her heart speeding at the sight of the spark of hope in his eyes. Assured he wouldn't bolt away, she let go of his leg and went to her special pocket to get his chocolate. It was pretty special indeed, because she actually had made it herself. It was twice as big as the other chocolates, shaped like a heart and wrapped in a plain green paper with a tiny white dog holding a small heart in its mouth. She thought it was cute and hoped he would appreciate the drawing of the dog she had spent hours to make perfect. It had his ears, of course. She hoped he wouldn't deem it too 'girly',

She was so excited and anxious about giving it to Inuyasha that she didn't mind that she was in the center of the attention of the group. Miroku and Sango were smiling their special 'I know something you don't' smirks while Shippou was just curious to see why Inuyasha's chocolate wasn't with the rest of them. She was aware of only one pair of eyes following her hands as she reached into the pocket and looked for the package that was very easy to find due to its size.

That was why she was pretty surprised when she haven't grasped it after reaching into the pocket

"Huh?" she pulled the bag closer and peered in the pocket, moving a few items to make sure that the package wasn't under them. It wasn't. Confused and more than a bit anxious, she started to dig through the whole bag, spilling her belongings carelessly on the floor.

"Kagome?" asked Sango, looking at her friend frantically throwing stuff around herself.

"It's missing," Kagome muttered, unfolding her clothing to make sure it wasn't stuck between the folded fabric. "It's gone."

Sango's eyes widened when she saw tears filling Kagome's eyes. The exterminator looked up to Inuyasha's face, but he was already looking away.

"Feh, whatever," he grumbled, his voice dark and his ears practically hidden in his hair. Sango just prayed he wouldn't say anything she would have to kick his butt for saying. He was a glutton, but for some reason she was sure he was unhappy he wouldn't get a gift from Kagome more than that he wouldn't get his own chocolate. She guessed he haven't gotten many gifts in the past. That was why she wasn't surprised that his voice sounded soft and dejected when he added after a moment. "That's fine."

"But... Inuyasha... I made it for you," Kagome turned to look at the hanyou, who shrugged and walked towards the mouth of the cave. "I had it when we stopped for the lunch, I swear..."

"It's fine," he repeated flatly. "I'm going to scout around to make sure nothing is sneaking up on us."

And with that he was gone, swallowed by the darkness of the winter night, leaving in his wake a stunned Miroku, a confused Shippou, a half sympathetic half annoyed Sango and Kagome, who started to cry and look through her stuff again, as if the lost item could appear under the next thing she picked up.

Kagome was going through her backpack again, trying to keep her hands from shaking and her tears from blinding her. That was bad, very bad. What friend would lose their gift? What girl would lose a gift for the boy she loved? She had put so much work into making it and storing it safely between her books so it wouldn't break. And now, she was sure of this, Inuyasha was thinking that she had lied about having the chocolate for him in the first place or something like that. And after seeing that she had brought chocolate for all their friends, even those he didn't like much. She practically could see him sitting somewhere, thinking she didn't care and feeling left out. That wasn't what she wanted for him!

She just had to find the chocolate and go find him, show him how much she loved him, that he wasn't left out, that...

She felt Miroku's hand touch her shoulder and shake her gently.

"Kagome..." he said softy and she looked up to see all her friends, even Kirara, looking at her in concern.

"I can't find it and he thinks I don't like him," she sobbed.

"Oh, Kagome..." Sango sighed and hugged her friend. "Please, stop crying. It will be fine."

"Tell us how it looks like and we will help you find it," Miroku suggested and Sango looked at him thankfully. This was a second time this evening he had a good idea. In addition she really appreciated he didn't try to touch Kagome's butt. Kagome wiped her eyes and gave them a watery smile.

"Thank you, guys," she said and with her hands made the shape of the package. "It was this size and shape, wrapped in green paper with a white dog on it," she described the lost item. Her heart squeezed. "I made it myself..."

"Uh-oh."

The three young adults had no time to move before a ball of orange hair and fur landed in Kagome's lap and latched itself to her, bawling.

"I'm so sorry!" Shippou cried. "I ate it! I ate your chocolate! I wouldn't if I knew, I swear!" the little boy cried out in distress. Poking fun at Inuyasha was one thing, but eating a gift meant for him, while it was obviously important to Kagome to give it to him was an entirely different one. He knew Inuyasha and Kagome loved each other and were stupid in the most annoying way that made them blind to the most obvious signs from each other. And now, because he hadn't bothered to ask Kagome for a permission to eat the found sweet, Kagome was going to be sad, not mentioning Inuyasha that was sure to be lethargic and no fun for days to come.

"Shippou," Miroku sighed as he looked at the boy pressing his tear stained face into Kagome's blouse, for once not feeling envy for the little kit. Kagome glanced down at the boy before looking at Sango, her face set in an expression of determination and sadness.

"Can I borrow Kirara?" she asked the exterminator.

A/N: See? I warned you it's bad. And it's going to be worse in the second part. (:  
Feedback is most welcome, even if your brain is fried from the flames you want to pour into the comment section. Let them loose :)


	2. Part 2

A/N: ~does her best Lemony Snicket impression~ Do you know that feel when you think you found a tasty new candy and it turns out to be absolutely not to your liking? This is that candy.  
This is posted two days before I first planned for all my lovely followers to cringe over before the Valentine's Day.

Thanks for MeTheAnimeLover7 :3

* * *

 **Part 2**

* * *

That was stupid, Inuyasha knew it. He was cursing himself as he ran across the snow-covered forest, actually following with his declaration and making sure there was no youkai or predator hunting near the cave. As if any youkai was stupid enough to be out at that time.

Besides it always helped him to think when he had something to do with his body. Sitting and pondering things wasn't his style, he had to move.

The paranoid part of him, driven by emotions and seeing usually the worst in everything, was telling him how the chocolate for him wasn't 'lost' that it never 'was', or that it was left behind. But the more logical and pragmatic part of him, the one that examined all the data he had and never jumped to conclusions without thinking (okay, sometimes thinking just for a few seconds) reminded him that Kagome wasn't a person to lie. And that she had looked and smelled really distressed when she hadn't found the gift where it should be.

He knew he shouldn't have left. It was immature to run away because he felt miserable. A strong youkai wouldn't let anyone see that he was hurt in any way, could act indifferent despite their emotions. But he was not a strong youkai, he was a weak hanyou, he craved the affection and acceptance, the friendship and care of the future-born miko. And... He really had wanted to get a gift from Kagome, being included on her friend list. Even Kikyou, the one who had showed him the most kindness in the past, hadn't given him any present.

And Kagome had said that she had wanted to give him one, wasn't that enough? The fact that she wanted to do that, even if there wasn't anything to give? Maybe she really wanted to bring him the bar of brown sticky stuff, but the heavens prevented that one way or another, because he was a hanyou and hanyou weren't supposed to get gifts an have friends? After all, Kikyou had once told him about her wish to give him something, but had forgot to bring it. Was it yet another point where the paths of the relationships between Inuyasha and those two mikos were similar? Was it fate? Following this logic it'd be his own fault he didn't get the present from the miko, who was innocent and kind. It seemed very possible, after all he had been reminded often that he wasn't supposed to be happy and get gifts like normal people. The Kikyou incident had happened not too long before her death. Inuyasha felt a shiver run down his spine and he bit his lip, promising to himself he wouldn't let the young girl die like Kikyou.

Inuyasha slowed to a stop as he finished his run. He didn't go back, not just yet, while his emotions weren't under control. He didn't want to go there and say something that would not only cause Kagome pain, but also prompt her to sit him.

Still, taught by the past experiences, he stayed near, where he could see the mouth of the cave. It wouldn't do for him to go far away to be lonely while someone could hurt the only people he cared for. Besides, he didn't want to be lonely, not anymore. Even staying on the edge of the group, watching them interact, was better than everything he had knew before.

A part of him thought that it didn't matter if Kagome had a gift for him or not. He was a half-breed, being able to be close to her, being treated like a real person was the most amazing gift of all. Wanting anything more seemed to be outrageous. She was the heart of the group and it was only thanks to her the rest tolerated him. After all, it was only thanks to her example they had dropped their hostile attitude towards him. Still, receiving something from her as a token of her affection wouldn't be something he'd scoff at.

He thought about her tears that he had smelled before leaving the cave. He thought about the way she had looked at him earlier, telling him she hadn't forgotten about him, her eyes full of nervous joy and hope. He didn't deserve her friendship nor her trust, but she still gave them to him, with the easy grace of someone who didn't cared about what he was.

The hanyou stood up and schooled his face in a look of calm indifference akin to Sesshomaru's demeanor, but less distant. He should go back and tell her it didn't matter, that he didn't need that stinking chocolate, that he was fine.

He didn't expect he could actually tell her that the only chocolate he cared for was the color of her eyes when she laughed, that the only sweet thing he liked was the scent of her, that the only gift he wanted from her was her staying at his side forever, as his wife and mate.

He already knew such a confession would, at some point between his heart and mouth, change into a pile of curses, insults and sneers. He knew that from experience.

But still, he had to go back. To make sure she didn't feel bad about forgetting his chocolate or losing it, or even not preparing it in the first place. He had to go there and - somehow - make her smile. It wasn't her fault heavens hated him.

And he really had to get his feet out of the snow.

Just as he took his first steps towards the cave, leaving the shade of the trees, something fell on top of him. In the split second between detecting the assault and the attacker hitting his body he recognized them and that was the only reason he didn't strike them.

"The hell?!" Inuyasha looked up from his vulnerable position, laying on his back and pinned down by a heavy weight. The shape on top of him moved, making sure its paws wouldn't get wet as she switched her position on top of the hanyou.

Kirara purred as she arched her back in a way that made whatever was on top of her to slide down and just on the boy. Then she leaped into the air to return to the cave, pleased that she brought the hanyou and miko together and hoping that now the alpha couple of their pack could work some of their issues out. She wasn't deluding herself that they'd clear all the stuff between them, humans were too weird for that.

Meanwhile, in the hole in the snow drift, Inuyasha carefully touched the object on top of him. It uncurled and it was revealed that it was Kagome, wrapped in her quilted jacket and hat covering her head. Her pale face shone in the moonlight reflected by the snow when she looked at him.

"Kagome," he whispered and the girl tucked her head under his chin with a quiet cry of mixed distress and relief. Despite laying in cold wet snow he felt warm and cozy with her curled up on top of him, only one thing bothering him was the scent of her distress.

"I'm so sorry, Inuyasha," she whimpered, hot tears dripping from her cheeks on the skin of his throat. "I really had the chocolate for you, I swear, I didn't forget about you and I care for you so..."

"It's alright, wench," he wrapped his arms around her, knowing that there was no use to try to sit up. She was shaking despite her warm clothing and he hoped she wouldn't get sick. "Quit crying and let's go back before you get cold."

"Inuyasha..." Kagome looked up into his face. He was so caring, so forgiving, even if he was trying to hide that side of himself. "I will make chocolate for you again the next time I'm back home."

"Feh, I don't need your sticky chocolate, wench," he said, trying to sound more confident and relaxed than he really was. He hoped to make her less stressed about the gift, but one look at her crestfallen expression told him he failed.

"You.. You don't want it?" she whispered, her lower lip trembling before she pulled it between her teeth. How could one so loved and respected by others sound so dejected, so miserable? He had to act fast.

"Kagome... I mean..." he started, but Kagome already was curled in a ball of miserable sobbing on top of his chest. It was a miracle she wasn't running for the trees already. "Look, hanyou don't get gifts, wench."

A pair of brown eyes looked at him, fire blazing in them.

"Why not? It's Valentine's Day and I care for you, so you should get a chocolate from me. I don't care if my friends are hanyou or youkai, or whatever. Everyone deserves a gift, you too! I wanted to give you something special, Inuyasha... I spent hours preparing it, just for you," she added in a softer voice, looking to the side.

"See? And all that work was for nothing." he did the best shrug he could in his current position. His heart was beating faster than it should after hearing that she had made that damned gift just for him, that she thought he deserved a gift more special than anyone else from her friend circle "I'd rather have you here at my side. I don't need fancy food that's too sweet to eat anyway."

Kagome opened her mouth to argue, demand of him to accept and appreciate her hard work, then she actually thought about his words. It was pretty dark but she could see that he was looking awkwardly to the side. She forgot how upset she was when her brain processed his statement. She realized that not even once had he accused her of not caring, that he actually wanted to spend time with her. She wondered if he thought that as a hanyou he didn't deserve love and gifts, that seemed to be the case. Kagome bit her bottom lip, thinking fast. She refused to dwell on the fact she had nothing special to offer him and tried to find a solution.

"So... You don't want a gift?" she asked slowly. Golden eyes turned her way. "Even if you most definitely should get one?"

"Not really," he grumbled. "I mean it kinda stung that you had gifts for the scumbags Kouga and Sesshomaru..."

"I told you, I had the chocolate for you and it was twice as big as theirs!" she exclaimed. "It wasn't my fault Shippou ate it by a mistake!"

"Keh, whatever," he shrugged, then tensed before... "What?!"

"Ooops!" Kagome gasped, realizing that she had told too much, she had to act fast, before he went after the kit. "Don't be angry at him, you said it yourself that you don't like chocolate."

"Feh!" he pouted. A spark in his eye told her he wasn't really angry enough to maim the boy, but she thought it wouldn't do to just make sure Shippou's hide was safe. After all she still wanted to give him something for the Valentine's Day, so he wouldn't think she cared less for him than for Kouga and his brother.

"What if I gave you an extra cup of Valentine's Day ramen instead?" she tried to sound seductive. It seemed to work, because his ears twitched in interest. "Two? And you can come visit me when I'm in the future when I'm at home, okay?"

She looked at his face and found a pair of wide, awed eyes looking straight back at her. And before she could say anything more a warm tongue swept against her cheek.

"Deal," came his rough voice before she could exclaim her opinion about being licked so suddenly.

"But you have to behave, dog-boy," Kagome teased and pressed a chaste kiss to his cheek without really thinking what she was doing. She glanced at the stunned, blushing boy and hid her face on his chest when she saw the intense gaze of his inhuman eyes glued to her.

Ten minutes later a smiling miko with puffy eyes entered the cave where their friends wanted for her arrival, followed by a hanyou that looked like he had spent quite a while laying in a snow drift. To their friends' surprise the pain seemed much more relaxed than usually after a quarrel.

As the pair got seated near the fire and Kagome started to prepare what had to be the Ramen Cups of Appeasement,, Shippou glanced to the older couple for support. When they gave him encouraging nods he approached Inuyasha, his tail dragging behind him,

"I'm sorry, Inuyasha," Shippou said unhappily. "I ate your special chocolate gift from Kagome. And I'm sorry for making fun of you earlier," he confessed and squeezed his eyes, awaiting a pounding of his life.

"Feh! You steal food without asking again and I'm cutting off your tail, brat," Inuyasha grumbled. Shippou looked at him in surprise, but Inuyasha was already looking towards Kagome pouring boiled water into his ramen.

"We would like to share," Miroku said when Shippou got his forgiveness, because that was the closest Inuyasha could get to voicing one. In a flash Inuyasha was at Kagome's side, protectively shielding his ramen from any threat of sharing. It took him a moment - and Sango bursting into laughter - to realize the monk haven't meant the instant noodles, but the pile of chocolate squares laid out on a paper plate. The hanyou pouted and was about to go and sulk in a corner, but Kagome tweaked his ear, giggling and looking at him with those beautiful eyes, stopped him. After all seeing her smile at him like that was what he wanted the most.

Well, he wouldn't mind another kiss, he decided when their hands touched while she passed the cup to him and he saw her blushing and looking away.


End file.
